To Be Loved
by Moving Mountains
Summary: Cyborg and Bumblebee have some exciting news to celebrate. While everyone is happy for them, for someone, it makes them yearn to be loved. Sometimes a reminder from a friend is all you need to remember that you are. [One-shot] Robin/Raven friendship.


Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

The Titans Tower was heaving with heroes, with friends, with acquaintances who had all come together to celebrate one thing: Cyborg proposing to Bumblebee and her saying yes. The moment the half-robot had brought her over to share the good news, Beast Boy had started planning the greatest engagement party. Everyone had been invited and in true Titans fashion, everyone had arrived. Music blared from the speakers near the dance floor where members of the Titans North were dancing with members from Titans West as others hung out on the sofas catching up or stood around the kitchen counter devouring the largest assorted buffet they'd ever seen. Alcoholic drinks were distributed to those who wanted them, meaning some of the Titans were more hyped than usual.

Although parties were very low down on Raven's list of likes, even she had to admit that Beast Boy had outdone himself for his best friend. Standing with Starfire as she added mustard to her plate of food, the girls had started a conversation with Argent when the music suddenly lowered and a deep voice said through a microphone, "What's up, Titans!"

Everyone began cheering and clapping as Cyborg stood on the stage near the windows overlooking the bay.

"Alright alright alright! Settle down. I have something very important to say to some very important people: first of all, I have to thank the Grass Stain – and my Best Man – Beast Boy for finally doing something right in his life and throwing this awesome party for me and Bee!" The cheers began once more as Beast Boy morphed into a monkey and began jumping all around the room before landing on Cyborg's shoulder. He turned back into his usual self and gave his friend a brotherly hug and fist bump before leaving the stage.

"But, there's someone else I have to thank – thank for saying yes to being my future wife. Come up here, Baby," he smiled at Bumblebee, reaching out a hand and pulling her up onto the stage. He kept her hand locked in his the whole time he spoke as the diamond on her engagement ring sparkled under the lights.

"Karen, I can't even begin to describe to you how lucky I am to have you in my life – someone so beautiful and strong, someone who makes me want to be better." Cyborg took a deep breath, causing others in the crowd – including Raven – to internally 'awww' at his nervousness. "After my accident that made me this," he started, gesturing to his half robotic, half human body, "It took me a long time to accept myself. Then meeting Robin, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy and having a team of friends made me love myself and made me realise that if I wasn't a cyborg, I wouldn't be Cyborg." The audience chuckled, giving Cyborg time to compose himself as a tear trickled down his human cheek. "But you, Karen, you were the first person to truly love me for me and I can't wait to show you how much I love you for the rest of our married lives."

Bumblebee started crying, reaching up for her fiancé's neck and pulling him in for a kiss. At this spectacle, the room exploded into cheers and wolf whistles – and laughter when Cyborg stuck his middle finger up at them all. The happy couple parted, smiling at all of their friends.

Well, almost all of them. One of them had quietly snuck away while everyone's attention was occupied. But someone had seen her leave, and as the music started up again, he left to find her.

* * *

Raven had opted for the roof, hoping the clear open space would clear the dizziness from being in a cramped space surrounded by too many people. Sighing, she took a shaky breath and rested her chin on her knees. She focused on the sound of the waves lapping against the rocky shore, enjoying the soothing noise, but it was interrupted by the sound of footsteps.

"Why aren't you at the party?" she asked the man behind her, knowing who it was without having to turn around.

"I saw you leave. I wanted to check everything was alright."

There was no point in lying: Robin knew her well enough that he would see through it like a piece of glass. She opted for silence, turning to face the horizon once more and admiring the beauty that beheld the city she protected. It was creeping closer to midnight and despite the Tower being alive, the metropolis surrounding it was slowly falling asleep with the full moon silhouetting against the skyline. In her periphery, she could see him staring at her, the corners of his black-and-white mask turned downwards with concern.

"Do you think… I'll find love like that?"

Her whisper floated over the edge of the roof and escaped with the wind, so quiet that Robin wasn't sure if she'd even spoken. But she had – in a voice so unlike the demoness that it scared him: uncertain, vulnerable, lost.

"Why are you asking?" he asked, genuinely curious. Robin was so focused on them being Titans that he often forgot the first word in their name: Teen. As he gazed into her swimming violet eyes – hidden within the confines of her cloak – he reminded himself that she was a teenage girl who had just listened to a speech so heartfelt that even he felt a pang of jealousy that Cyborg had found someone perfect for him. It was easy to dismiss Raven as not a 'girly' girl when she masked her emotions better than he did, didn't care for typical 'girly' activities and was the strongest, most self-assured young woman he knew – the total juxtaposition to Starfire: the epitome of femininity.

The demoness finally turned to face him and he vowed to not forget that when she stuttered, "Because you've all had that but… I haven't."

"Yet," he affirmed immediately. "Just because you haven't had that yet doesn't mean you won't."

Feeling his hand gripping her shoulder, she thought about how much that small gesture, fleeting touch, compassionate act meant to her – and how much more it would mean from someone who loved her. Memories of Beast Boy and Terra cuddled up on the sofa watching sci-fi movies played in her mind, their giggles and whisperings slowly transitioning to those of Starfire and Robin having a romantic moment in the park, sneaking a kiss on the picnic blanket, unaware that she had caught them. Then she saw Jinx and Kid Flash shouting at each other during their recent visit before the latter wrapped his arms around the former and pulled her close to him, kissing her neck and making her forget what they were childishly arguing about. Finally, she remembered Cyborg and Bumblebee sitting together at the kitchen counter, inhaling enormous burgers and milkshakes from their favourite takeaway place, when he got mayonnaise on his finger and instead of wiping it away on a napkin, he reached for the tip of her nose.

Through their bond established years before, Robin felt the pang of heartache that Raven was feeling as the memories of everyone else's happiness made her feel more like love was out of reach for someone like her.

"Raven," he said, waiting for her to look at him once more. "You are worthy of love and I _promise_ you that one day, you'll find someone who will never want to let you go, someone who won't be good enough for you but will prove to you everyday that he's trying to be."

The sincerity of his words was clear. The meaning of his words was strong. The impact of his words was powerful, so powerful that Raven's breath was momentarily taken away. She didn't know that Robin was capable of being so honest about something like this.

"And before you go being all self-deprecating and all that crap, I mean it."

"But I'm not –"

"Smart? Beautiful? Caring? Confident? Independent?" he interrupted, nearly laughing at the look on her face as he listed off the first five adjectives that came to mind. "Hell, the reason you probably haven't found someone yet is because everyone is intimidated by you!" he smirked.

Robin wished that Raven could see herself through his eyes – through the eyes of everyone else on the team – so that she could see how her luscious violet hair danced in the breeze as she concentrated on her meditation, or how her forehead creased up whenever she read a particularly riveting page of whatever book had captured her interest that day. She would see the determination and quick-thinking that helped them win every battle they'd faced; the trepidation every time she summoned a shield, hoping it would protect them all; the way her leotard elegantly hugged her curves; the way she joined in on their fun even though she'd never admit that she was enjoying it. She deserved to see all of it.

"Please, Rae. Stop thinking about everything you're _not _and focus on what you are – a great friend who will one day be an excellent girlfriend."

Raven couldn't help but smile (albeit a small one that most people would miss if they didn't know what it looked like) and Robin returned it, big enough to make up for hers.

"And you said that I'm the most hopeful one," she joked.

He laughed, lying down on the concrete roof and looking up at her. "So, who can I set you up with? I've always fancied playing matchmaker…"

"You wouldn't," she threatened, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"What! You're the one moaning that no one will ever love you!"

She had no rebuttal, so instead she huffed and turned back to look at the cityscape in front of her, pulling her cloak closer to stop the nighttime chill.

"How about Aqualad? You used to have a bit of a crush on him if I remember rightly?" Even with her cloak up and her face obscured from view, he would have bet good money that the sorceress was blushing fiercely right now. "Or Speedy?"

"He's a player. No." She remembered when they first met and the archer immediately started flirting with her. Although she knew he was a good man, he wasn't made for monogamy – not while he was young anyway.

"True but I reckon for you, he'd stay on the straight and narrow."

"Now you're being delusional. Did you hit your head when you lay down?" she mocked, rolling her eyes.

"There's a language barrier with the twins…"

"And the fact they're too young!"

Robin smirked, "Ah, so you like an older man. Then again, Mal-"

He froze midsentence, his hand going straight to his forehead. With that one syllable, he knew he'd struck a nerve even before Raven had shrunk further beneath her cloak, her head falling forward to hide behind her cropped hair. He berated himself and his stupidity: just as he was beginning to make her feel better, he had to ruin it by mentioning one of the two names that sent her spiraling through a labyrinth of pain and misery.

"Raven, I'm sorry," he apologized, sitting up again and peering forward to try and catch her eye. "I shouldn't have brought up-"

Cutting him off, she whispered, "I know you didn't mean to, Robin. It's ok." But the sadness behind her regular monotonic voice betrayed her words. Striking grey eyes attacked her memories, binding her like the curse that had trapped Malchior in her book. The thought of his paper fingers wrapping around her arms in a warm embrace sent cold shivers down her spine as she shook away the recollection of the first – and only – person who had ever 'loved' her – even if it was all a ploy for his own selfish deceptive gain. She'd felt loved. She'd fallen in and_ for _love.

Robin had only seen the real Malchior: the treacherous dragon that had wrecked her room and the Tower. He hadn't witnessed how he'd also wrecked her trust so she couldn't blame her leader for accidently letting his name slip.

"Are you ok?" Robin asked, gently shaking her shoulder when she didn't respond straight away. Pulling her out of her reminiscence, his troubled face replaced that of the sorcerer, bringing her back to the rooftop.

She nodded, not quite trusting her voice to show it just yet. Robin nodded back at her before slowly getting up and offering her a hand to do the same.

"I know it's sometimes hard to be happy when you compare your situation to others," he started calmly as she took his hand and he pulled her up to standing, "But I know a lot of people downstairs would love to see you and spend time with you, so I think you should come back to the party."

She didn't let go of his hand. Instead she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Robin would be lying if he said he wasn't shocked: this was only the second time since meeting her that he could recall them embracing. He enveloped her in his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder, and they stayed like that for a moment longer before he ran his hand through her hair and let go, stepping back and smiling down at her.

"Thank you for coming to check on me."

"Always."

The pair walked through the rooftop door and back down through the corridors towards the party. The closer they were to it, the louder the thumping of the bass and sound of laughter resonated down the halls.

With the living room door coming into view, Robin asked suddenly, "Does it have to be a man?", slyly eyeing Raven as he questioned her sexual preferences. "I mean, there are loads of hot women in the Titans."

"I'll let Starfire know that, shall I?" she teased back, nearly laughing at the look on Robin's face at the thought of his Tamaranian girlfriend killing him in a frenzied act of jealousy. To be fair, Raven thought, Starfire would probably join in with complementing the female members of the Titans.

Walking back into the party, Robin smiled when he heard some of his fellow comrades hollering to Raven, asking her to come over for a chat and a drink. He pushed her forward, ignoring the glare she gave him and returning it with a playful wave. From a distance, he watched as Beast Boy rested his arm across her shoulder and passed her a glass, telling her to tell Aqualad that his powers were cooler than the Atlantean's. He didn't miss the smile the latter gave her when she sided with him over her teammate.

Sound in the knowledge that she was fine, Robin left her to it and went to find his own girlfriend. While she may not be in love, he hoped that one day Raven would appreciate all the love that surrounded her. He hoped that she would learn to love herself and realise that, whether or not she was ready to accept it, she already knew what it was like to be loved.


End file.
